I moved here to texas a few years ago from the northwest. I have never heard of a dear lease til I did. Are there places to hunt for free here or is everything private? Thanks.

Mostly private. There's public land, but it's not free. You'll need to pay $48 for an APH. Welcome to the forum.

I was the same way moved from PA and only ever hunted public as there was plenty of it but texas is almost all privatley owned so if you want to do any hunting without being elbow to elbow then you will have to find a lease. My problem was how expensive the leases were but if you really really do you homework then you can find a decent lease at a decent price or do plenty of saving.

states full........go home



















j/k welcome to texas and yes, the good hunting in this state is done on private land.

I miss BLM land

There is a bit of public hunting available in Tx. Check out TPWD's website for more info. Once you get the permit, there are quite a few options, depending on the region you are in.

Welcome to the board.

Welcome

I was checkin out the area around cooper lake, is that archery only?

Welcome to Texas and to the forum. Having a lease is the best way to go after you have some friend that hunt. Finding a lease for one person is very hard to do. Public hunting is okay if that's all you can do. Don't give up .

I moved here from Illinois 25 years ago and tried both ways- private lease and public land. Differences are night and day- Private is enjoyable and you get to be a little choosy with which deer you shoot. Public gets you in woods, but see very few deer- makes you feel you have to shoot first legal deer you see, and you have to usually deal with at least 1 dumba$$ per year that messes up at least one hunt, but the price is right.

Welcome to Texas...

Majority of the state is private and the leases are the best way to go. Problem is getting together a group of like minded people and finding a good lease.

However, I did come across a group called Mountain Creek Ranches. Appears to be something like a duck club but for deer. Anyone have any guidance or experience with them?

Regardless, good luck with the hunt for a place to hunt...

Yes Cooper Lake is archery only (I think). There is alot of public land available. What is your location I may be able to help you locate a lease at a decent price. East Texas leases are cheap so far by state standards and if you are looking at Cooper lake then I assume thats where you are. There are alot of leases under $500 year round. I may can hook you up.

I wish we had some open hunting land, especially out in the Big Bend area. You can put in for state draws but the odds of being chosen are slim, but then again if you don't try you definately won't get drawn.

The best hunting land is private. Welcome to the forum

Its not all gloom and doom. Sure, having private land where you can set up feeders , food plots, and permanent stands is nice. However if you can't find a lease or don't have the funds there are some options. You can purchase an APH (annual hunting permit ) from TPWD for $48.00 which gives you access to 1.2 million acres of public hunting land. With the APH you can also hunt in several of the national forest. Also, the Corps of Engineers has public land available for hunting. Obviously these public hunting options often come with some draw backs. No baiting, no stands for more than 3 days at a time, and of course other hunters. But it is affordable and abundant.

It is not free, the taxpayers maintain it for public use. Our tax dollars, subsidize that use. It is a form of welfare for outdoor recreation for the people that use it. It should be leased and made into productive tax paying entity. Congress needs the money so they can spend it.